Is Hard Skool the first GNR song that sounds like GNR in 30 years?

[North Korean Democracy]

Judging from comments I'd say the reaction from the casual fans that listened to it has been very positive. I saw a couple comments of people that said they got emotional hearing a new proper GNR song (Slash solos, Axl raspy high pitch in the chorus and Duff's bassline) for the first time in 30 years. People saying that it reminds them of when they were schoolboys rocking to AFD or Illusions, some saying it feels surreal hearing Axl's classic voice on a new song. The benefit (well one of the many lmao) of not being a hardcore GNR fan is having the illusion that Hard Skool is a completely new song and Axl & Slash decided to go old-school for it.

As hardcore fans, do some of us feels the same way? I know Izzy and Adler are not there but for me it feels more like GNR than anything since the 90s. Axl struggled with it live at first but in the last performances he got a lot better, I hope it stays permanently on the setlist next year.

[El Guapo]

Yes, it sounds more classic GnR than anything released since SFTD.

I like Hard Skool alot, but since we know how it was put together, that's a bit of a turn off, imo. 

[betterman]

It sounds like GNR and its a good song but it should not be nescessary to sound like GNR or some other band, Chinese Democracy was the perfect evolution of Axls vision of what GNR should be. 

I dont understand fans that wants the band to always stay the same, a band needs to evolve and I believe that I personally would have loved what was intended and not something that tries to emulate the old days 

But in the end - the song is good so I`m eager to hear more of the Village songs with Slash and Duffs take on it.

[Tom-Ass]

1 hour ago, El Guapo said:

Yes, it sounds more classic GnR than anything released since SFTD.

I like Hard Skool alot, but since we know how it was put together, that's a bit of a turn off, imo. 

Same except I can't say I like it a lot.. It is ok and better than Absurd and CD but also turned off on how it was put together.. Feels pretty cheap.. Not good enough for me to buy or something I would play.  

[Tom-Ass]

21 minutes ago, betterman said:

It sounds like GNR and its a good song but it should not be nescessary to sound like GNR or some other band, Chinese Democracy was the perfect evolution of Axls vision of what GNR should be. 

I dont understand fans that wants the band to always stay the same, a band needs to evolve and I believe that I personally would have loved what was intended and not something that tries to emulate the old days 

But in the end - the song is good so I`m eager to hear more of the Village songs with Slash and Duffs take on it.

CD was Axl's vision but not the bands.. That is all good for people that are solely Axl fans but Guns n' Roses were huge and many were fans of the band not just Axl.. I don't understand people that would be happy with Axl releasing a new album with a new lineup every 15 years...  Axl isn't evolving.  He isn't releasing anything. 

It isn't like they have been releasing Appetite For Destruction sounding albums every two years for the last three decades and everyone is burnt out on it..  Would it really be that bad for them to release another kick ass heavy rock album 30 years later? They don't have to carbon copy the old music to do that.  Guns N' Roses weren't a progressive band.. They were a bad ass rock band.  They were the best at what they did.. They are 60 years old, have been back together 6 years and haven't put out an album..  Chances are if  they do, it will be the last one..  I would rather see the majority of people like and respect the album.. All those fans that came back out for these tours.. This isn't the time to try and reinvent the wheel.. 

[EvanG]

I'm not sure what classic GnR is because UYI was already somewhat of a departure from Appetite.

Some of the more epic songs on CD sound like some of the epic UYI songs to me.

Biggest difference is of course hearing Slash's tone and playing on a GnR track again, which is what makes it feel more like an 87-93 GnR song again, I guess.

[dally]

Yea, but the song is almost 30 years old too so…

Edited October 11, 2021 by dally

[t-p-d-a]

i want a remake of Chinese Democracy Album with Slash

[Original]

I'd include SOD's as well.  

[Neider]

Patience, November Rain, Estranged or Yesterdays are also GNR, although perhaps the author of the post refers to the sound of the AFD = GNR.

For me all his discography is GNR, from Reckless Life to Absurd, through CD or TSI. That the sound can be different between each album? Yes, but even the CD seems like a natural evolution to me and it’s GNR (even VR songs can be considered GNR too). The Beatles played rock and roll, ballads, folk, psychedelic rock, baroque pop, hard rock, blues rock and much more, and I don’t see anyone criticizing Sgt. Peepers for not sounding like A Hard Day's Night. The Rolling Stones also played those genres that the Beatles did, and also others like country, punk, disco, jazz, funk, and reggae. Led Zeppelin also played several genres; the same Kiss and even Aerosmith.

[Basic_GnR_Fan]

5 hours ago, El Guapo said:

Yes, it sounds more classic GnR than anything released since SFTD.

I like Hard Skool alot, but since we know how it was put together, that's a bit of a turn off, imo. 

I don't get this. If you believe a song is good and catchy, who cares how it was put together. The song is good or it's not. 

10 minutes ago, Neider said:

Patience, November Rain, Estranged or Yesterdays are also GNR, although perhaps the author of the post refers to the sound of the AFD = GNR.

For me all his discography is GNR, from Reckless Life to Absurd, through CD or TSI. That the sound can be different between each album? Yes, but even the CD seems like a natural evolution to me and it’s GNR (even VR songs can be considered GNR too). The Beatles played rock and roll, ballads, folk, psychedelic rock, baroque pop, hard rock, blues rock and much more, and I don’t see anyone criticizing Sgt. Peepers for not sounding like A Hard Day's Night. The Rolling Stones also played those genres that the Beatles did, and also others like country, punk, disco, jazz, funk, and reggae. Led Zeppelin also played several genres; the same Kiss and even Aerosmith.

The problem with CD wasn't the style of music, it was that the vocals were spotty (some great, some not so good) and the lack of catchy riffs and choruses. 

[Basic_GnR_Fan]

4 hours ago, betterman said:

It sounds like GNR and its a good song but it should not be nescessary to sound like GNR or some other band, Chinese Democracy was the perfect evolution of Axls vision of what GNR should be. 

I dont understand fans that wants the band to always stay the same, a band needs to evolve and I believe that I personally would have loved what was intended and not something that tries to emulate the old days 

But in the end - the song is good so I`m eager to hear more of the Village songs with Slash and Duffs take on it.

There's nothing wrong with evolving and also nothing wrong with revisiting earlier sounds of a band. Metallica is the perfect example. I'm glad they did Load and Reload because there's lots of good songs there. And I'm glad they did Hardwired, which is more of a throwback with some modern flare.

[Neider]

12 minutes ago, Basic_GnR_Fan said:

The problem with CD wasn't the style of music, it was that the vocals were spotty (some great, some not so good) and the lack of catchy riffs and choruses.

True, although the best word to describe it is overproduction. I really think Axl’s best voice is on the Village and the final CD, but the overproduction of the final album and overlapping vocals makes it difficult to appreciate how good he sounded there. The album seems incredible to me but I wish it had come out in 2005-06, I think many mistakes from the final album would not have been there. So, for me, the last songs to sound GNR before Hard Skool, are Prostitute and Absurd (although the latter is a bit bad).

[Basic_GnR_Fan]

5 minutes ago, Neider said:

True, although the best word to describe it is overproduction. I really think Axl’s best voice is on the Village and the final CD, but the overproduction of the final album and overlapping vocals makes it difficult to appreciate how good he sounded there. The album seems incredible to me but I wish it had come out in 2005-06, I think many mistakes from the final album would not have been there. So, for me, the last songs to sound GNR before Hard Skool, are Prostitute and Absurd (although the latter is a bit bad).

I don't like his Prostitute vocal take, sounds way too thin.

Some of the later vocals he added were awesome, such as the TWAT vocals he later added. He also sounds pretty good on Shacklers which was what, 2007?

[Neider]

14 minutes ago, Basic_GnR_Fan said:

I don't like his Prostitute vocal take, sounds way too thin.

Some of the later vocals he added were awesome, such as the TWAT vocals he later added. He also sounds pretty good on Shacklers which was what, 2007?

Yes, SR's lyrics were inspired by the 2007 shooting so considering that the entire recording of the album ended that year, Axl’s voice must be from 2007. I think Sorry is from that time too, 2005-07.

And personally Prostitute is one of my favorite songs on the CD. His voice so sharp in verses reminds me a bit of his voice in the days of Rapidfire or Hollywood Rose, long before the rasp voice (which began in 1988 or late 1987).

[GnR Chris]

"This I love" sounds like GNR. "There was a Time" sounds like GNR. That song has some of the best guitar solos in their catalog. In fact, the Chinese Democracy record features blistering guitars and tremendous codas, both staples of GNR. Saying "Hard Skool" sounds like the first proper GNR song in 30 years is ridiculous because that just means it has Slash's trademark tone. Of course that sound is instantly recognizable, and Slash's greatest success is with GNR.

 

I like what was done with "Hard Skool" and "Absurd." "Absurd" similarly has the trademark Slash guitar tone and Duff's groovy bass. However, I'd really like to see what else this current group puts out, 'cause I'd like more evolutionary type of work. Not a fallback to a "traditional" sound. Something like live "Better" with the bridge intro sounds really dope. Had that been the studio release, it'd be like a blend of old GNR styles and new.

But if they're just gonna past Axl's vocals over some Slash and Duff music, I know it'll be good and it'll "sound like Guns N' Roses." But I'm not sure it's going to be taking the group in any type of new direction. And I guess at this point, it's OK. Then again, all that said, "Absurd" kind of points to a band that isn't afraid to put out something people don't expect from them. So I hope there's a lot more where that came from.

Edited October 11, 2021 by GnR Chris

[DefinitelyInThisLifetime]

IRS sounds like GnR…

The rough demo even more I think.

[Sausagebrain]

It 'rocks' like old skool GnR, but is a bit lacking in ''roll'. Blame whoever is responsible for the drum track.

 

(I don't necessarily mean just Frank, but whoever decided that it should be quantized to death).

Edited October 11, 2021 by Sausagebrain

[Tom2112]

No, there are songs like Street of dreams and This I Love that could have easily appeared beside a song like November Rain. 

It just sounds more like gnr because Slash's playing is undeniably linked to what people consider the gnr sound.

Hard skool might be the first song in 30yrs that sounds like a gnr rocker though

Edited October 12, 2021 by Tom2112

[Tom2112]

2 hours ago, DefinitelyInThisLifetime said:

IRS sounds like GnR…

The rough demo even more I think.

The live versions were even better especially the 2006 versions 

[chester]

Nope.. Ever heard of the album Chinese Democracy? It was released in 2008, it has a handful of songs that sound like GnR. 

[ktucker450]

I would honestly take absurd and hard skool over any of Chinese democracy.   Absolutely loving this Era of gnr and am craving more   hard skool on repeat.   

[-W.A.R-]

Well it's not like there is an abundance of material in the last 30 years

Fall to Pieces was close enough to a GNR song.

Edited October 11, 2021 by -W.A.R-

[Draguns]

When the Village recordings leaked, Hard Skool became my favorite from the leaks since it had that classic GNR structure to it.  With Slash and Duff back in the band, the official song has a  much more classic feel to it. A few people here mentioned "This I Love. I have to disagree. Aside from Robin's guitar solo, the entire song on CD sounds more like Andrew Lloyd Weber than GNR. As a result, the studio version just doesn't appeal to me as much. Hard Skool definitely reminds me of classic GNR. 

[janrichmond]

It was the only track from all the leaks that I could ever remember, I guess it is more classic sounding and that's why I liked it. Never liked any of the other leaks apart from, The Blues being an exception.